A mission trip leader has more tools than ever to outfit the team and raise funds at the same time. A branded online apparel shop takes under an hour to launch, costs nothing up front, and works as both the team uniform source and a steady fundraising channel. Here is the step-by-step plan for trip leaders who want to set up the shop right the first time.
A trip apparel shop serves two purposes at once.
First, it outfits the team. Every team member orders their own tees, hoodies, long sleeves, and caps in their actual size. The trip leader never collects money or sorts boxes.
Second, it funds the trip. Every item sold generates profit at the markup you set. Supporters, parents, sending pastors, and donors buy through the same shop. That profit goes to your team or trip fund.
A well-set-up shop generates $400 to $1,500 in trip funds for an average team over four to six weeks before departure, with zero upfront cost.
Before opening the shop, lock the team design. The design includes:
Use one or two ink colors. Get sign-off from senior leadership before opening the shop. A redesign mid-trip-prep is the most common reason for delays.
Open a free Bear Grips Pro Shops account. Name the shop with the team identifier and trip year (for example, "Westside 2026 Honduras Team").
Add the products your team will actually want:
Upload the design to each product. Position the print on the chest for tees and the chest or front center for hoodies. Caps get embroidered with the simplified icon-only mark.
Bear Grips Pro Shops: Custom Apparel for Your Team. No Minimums. Free Shipping.Each product has a base price (printing plus shipping). You add a markup that becomes your profit. The markup math drives both team affordability and trip fund generation.
Recommended markups for mission trip apparel:
This puts retail prices in line with what supporters expect from a fundraiser shop (tee around $30 to $35, hoodie around $50 to $55). Markup goes directly to your trip fund.
Send the shop link in four channels:
The personal social posts generate the most sales. A team of 12 each sharing to their own networks reaches 1,500 to 3,000 contacts.
The shop does not have to close when the team comes home. A live shop generates ongoing trip-related revenue and gives next year's team a head start.
Add the team return-photo print on a "We Went" follow-up tee. Sell to supporters who funded the trip. Use the apparel revenue to seed next year's trip fund.
Some long-running mission programs treat the shop as a permanent fundraising channel that runs year-round between trips. The same shop can host this year's design, last year's keepsake, and a generic ministry tee that sells whenever someone wants to support the program.
Free to set up. Add team apparel, set your markup, and share the link with the team and supporters. Profit funds your trip.
Start FreeUnder an hour from account creation to first product live. Most of the time goes into uploading the design and writing product descriptions, both of which can be reused across products.
Zero upfront cost with a free plan. The trip leader pays nothing to open the shop, list products, or share the link. Each team member or supporter pays for their own order.
Tees: $8 to $12 over base. Long sleeves: $10 to $14. Hoodies: $12 to $18. Embroidered caps: $8 to $12. This puts retail in line with supporter expectations for fundraiser apparel.
Yes. A well-promoted shop generates $400 to $1,500 in profit for a typical team over four to six weeks pre-departure. Markup on every item sold flows to your trip fund.
Bear Grips Pro Shops